Surprise
by temptalia
Summary: Fox gets surprised by Theresa. Complete.


Title: Surprise

Author: Christine, 

Rating: PG

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters; I am just borrowing them for some mindless entertainment and maybe even a plot or two.

Summary: I hate Passions. I hate the writers for the show. This is my attempt to re-write the garbage they're feeding to us now. Please note that I haven't written anything in nearly two months.

Part: 1/1

"Fox, I can't believe you. I—I thought I knew you better than that!" Theresa cried in anguish.

"Theresa, I'm sorry! I tried to tell you but you kept interrupting me..."

"So now it's my fault?" she replied harshly through her tears. "You know what? I don't care what you have to say. There's no reason that could possibly justify why you let me believe...that you loved me...that we were building something for the past two months...when we weren't."

"Theresa!" Fox said exasperatedly.

"But you know what hurts the most, Fox?"

He looked away.

"That you slept with me anyway. I thought you loved me. I thought _we_ were in love. I was just a body. How very convenient. Like father, like son," she spat. "Goodbye, Fox."

"Ethan! Jason!" Theresa called as she entered her apartment. "I'm home!"

Two little boys ran towards her at full-speed, crashing into her legs as she lifted the smaller one up.

"Hey, cutie!"

"Mama," Ethan started.

"Yeah, baby?" she looked down at her son, who had grown into a boisterous fourteen year old.

"Do you think maybe...one day I can not babysit Jason? Like go out with some friends afterschool?"

Theresa sighed. "I'll try, honey, to get a day off, okay? I'll try to find a babysitter. I just... You know what, tomorrow. I'll stay home, and you can go hang out with your friends. Okay?"

"Thank you!" he cried.

"So, J, it's just you and me today," Theresa said softly as she looked lovingly at her son.

"Uh huh," he giggled, nodded once at her, and returned to a cartoon on the television.

"Cartoons are more interesting than Mom? Yeah, I remember I was like that when I was a kid."

Ethan swung the baseball bat, made contact with the ball, and started yelling as it soared through the air.

His triumph was cut short by the sound of breaking glass.

Harshly, he swore under his breath, and ran towards the car that he had hit.

"Is this your ball?" a man asked, standing next to the car.

"Yes," he stuttered. "I'm sorry, sir."

"These things happen," the man said softly. "Is your dad around? So I could talk to him about the damages..."

"I—I can take you to my mom."

"Mama!" Ethan yelled as he opened the door in a rush.

"Ethan?" Theresa called worriedly as she ran out of the bedroom. "Oh, god," she groaned as she noticed the older man beside him. "Hello, Fox."

"It's been awhile," she said tonelessly. "Ethan, would you take Jason and go to your room? We need a little privacy. Okay?"

"Okay, Mom."

"Little Ethan sure has grown up," he remarked stiffly.

"He has," she returned just as stiffly.

"Tell Ethan not to worry about my car—"

"What about your car?" she interrupted.

"He was playing baseball with his friends, and his homerun ended up landing on my windshield."

"Bill me when you have your estimate," she said coolly.

"Theresa, I'm not going to bill you—"

"Please, _bill me_ when you have your estimate," she repeated, more firmly.

"Why are you being like this?"

"Fox—"

"Mama!" a little boy yelped as he ran towards her.

"Jason," she sighed as she scooped the boy into her arms. "I thought I told Ethan to watch you."

"He wouldn't let me play with his airplane!"

"Jason, we talked about this. Ethan has his toys, and you have yours. If you want to _borrow_ one of Ethan's toys, you have to ask. And what do you do if he says no?"

"Say thank you anyway," he whined.

"If you know the answer, why is there a problem?" she teased. "Now go on back to Ethan, okay?"

"So, where's your husband?" Fox asked.

"I'm not married."

"Then boyfriend?"

"I don't have a boyfriend, not that it's any of your business."

"Then that little boy..."

"Doesn't have a father," she supplied. "Like Ethan."

"Who—"

"It's not your business," she kindly reminded him again.

"Damn it, Theresa!" he yelled.

"Don't you dare raise your voice in my home!" she admonished.

"How old is he?"

"Almost six," she answered, knowing what he was getting at.

"You left Harmony six years ago," he said slowly. "Tell me he isn't mine."

"He may have your genes, but he's not one bit like you," she said bitterly.

"I can't—can't believe you! You were pregnant with my child and didn't tell me—"

"I'm sorry, Fox, but what part of 'I'm in love with your best friend, Whitney; I was never in love with you' implied a family with me? So take your 'I can't believe you' and get out of my home."

"That is _my_ son—"

"I absolve you of all your fatherly duties. Now, go."

"What if I don't want to be absolved?"

"What if I don't care?" Theresa spat.

"I don't need your pity, and we certainly don't need your guilt. Go relieve your conscience elsewhere."

"What happened to the girl I knew?"

"She died."

"Theresa," Fox pleaded. "Whitney and I...never happened."

"Would you like me to say I'm sorry? That I understand how you feel? Oh, Fox, I am _so_ sorry that you couldn't be with the love of your life!"

"Stop twisting everything I say, damn it!" he sighed in frustration.

"I think it's time for you to leave."

"No," he said, grabbing her arm. "I want to see my son."

"You gave up that right six years ago."

"I didn't even know I had the right! How can I give up what I didn't know I had?"

"Easily."

"I'll fight you. In court."

"I fought your father and beat him. I fight you and beat you, too. Like father, like son."

Fox snarled dangerously. "Don't ever compare me to him."

"Oh, but it's true. You and Julian are so alike."

"Julian and Eve. You and Whitney. You both slept with me without loving me...both led me on...both lied to me. Please, need I go on?"

Angrily, Fox closed his eyes to concentrate.

"Although, your father didn't get me pregnant."

"_What_?" Fox exclaimed.

"Ethan is the father of Ethan Martin."

"What? When did you find that out?"

"A few years ago. Nobody knows, and certainly, nobody would care. Let the world think it's Julian's bastard son. Ethan prefers it that way."

"Theresa, I'm sorry—"

"Too little, too late. I really don't have the patience for your antics anymore, Fox. I may not have a husband, but I have my two sons. And that's enough for me."

"Is it?" he challenged, stepping closer to her.

"Yes," she said assuredly.

"Will you leave now?"

"Do you know why I'm here?"

"My son broke your windshield."

"In a town this small, it's hardly a coincidence. I came looking for you."

"My mother," Theresa said.

"She finally broke down and told me."

"Well, you wasted your time."

"Theresa, you must know..."

"I don't know anything."

"Damn it! I didn't mean to hurt you back then. You just assumed—"

"Oh, yes, we're back to how we left things. My fault. Yes, of course."

Ignoring her, he went on, "You assumed that I was talking about you, which was understandable, since Chad had just filled your head with all these notions that I was in love with you. He was right to assume that; we were pretty chummy, before, and even tried that jealousy plan of yours. I tried to tell you the truth, but you would interrupt saying that you knew what I was going to say. After listening to you say how you were over Ethan...and ready to move on... I couldn't take that away from you."

"So now, it's my fault, and you were doing me a favor. Let me tell you something Fox, you were supposed to be my _friend_. A friend would have told me the truth. From the start."

"I can't change the past, Theresa," Fox sighed and sat down on the couch.

"No, you can't."

"I'm sorry I hurt you, and believe it or not, but I was starting to fall in love with you..."

"I'll choose not, if you don't mind."

"Why are you being so difficult?"

"What would make you think I'd be easy?"

"I was hoping you'd have forgiven me by now."

"Do I have reason to?"

"I told you the truth about Whitney—albeit, late—because I was starting to _really_ develop feelings for you. I wanted us to have a real relationship."

"I thought we were in a real relationship. That was the problem."

"I know that."

"Why, after six years, have you decided to relieve your conscience?"

"After you left, I tried going after Whitney again. It wasn't the same. I didn't have the same feelings anymore. Nobody would tell me anything about you, let alone your whereabouts. So, eventually, I went to Europe. Toured the countryside. Sat around, gambled, made some money, lost some money. I wasted two years of my life there. I spent a year with Chad in Los Angeles. I got his career back on track, and his and Whitney's relationship, as well. After that, I returned home to Harmony, and I spent two years trying to find out where you lived."

"Two years?"

"What can I say, I'm persistent," he grinned slightly.

"Jason," Theresa called.

A moment later, a dark blonde head appeared. "Yeah?"

"Jason, I'd like you to meet your father."

"Him?" Jason said cockeyed, looking at an older, taller version of himself.

"His name is Nicholas Foxworth Crane."

"Fox, this is Jason-Nicholas Lopez-Fitzgerald. We all call him Jason."

"Hi...Daddy?" Jason said hesitantly.

"Hi, Jason," Fox smiled.

"Does this mean you forgive me?" Fox asked.

"Yes," she said softly.

"Does this mean you still love me?"

"Maybe," she smiled.

"Are you willing to give me a second chance?"

"Only if you promise to always be honest. Even if it hurts me."

"Promise," he replied solemnly and clasped her hand in his.

The end.


End file.
